8.2.1 Collecting

Students learn about:

Students learn to:

Course Specifications:

collecting - the process by which data is captured or entered into a computer system, including:

·        deciding what data is required

·        how it is sourced

·        how it is encoded for entry into the system

hardware used for collection

(See Course Specifications Document)

Different peices of hardware can be used for collecting such as a Headset, where the microphone collects the input.



software used for collection

(See Course Specifications Document) Different pieces of software can be used for collecting data like the very commonly used program; Notepad, where this program stores text.

non-computer procedures in collecting

·        literature searches

·        surveys and interviews

·        form design for data collection

·        manual recording of events

·        existing non-computer data

Social and ethical issues in collecting

·        bias in the choice of what and where to collect data

·        accuracy of the collected data

·        copyright and acknowledgment of source data when collecting

·        the rights to privacy of individuals on whom data is collected

·        ergonomic issues for participants entering large volumes of data into an information system

• for a given scenario, identify alternatives for data collection and choose the most appropriate one
• use a range of hardware collection devices to collect different data types
• make predictions about new and emerging trends in data collection based on past practices

• describe the operation of a range of hardware collection devices
• choose the most appropriate combination of hardware, software and/or non-computer tools to collect data from a given source

• use the Internet to locate data for a given scenario
• design forms that allow data to be accurately recorded and easily input into software applications

• select and use appropriate communication skills to conduct interviews and surveys so that data can be accurately collected
• identify existing data that can be collected for an information system for a given scenario

• recognise personal bias and explain its impact on data collection
• identify the privacy implications of particular situations and propose strategies to ensure they are respected
• predict errors that might flow from data inaccurately collected
• predict issues when collecting data that might arise when it is subsequently analysed and processed

hardware used for collection

• scanners and/or digital cameras to collect images
• microphones and/or recording from peripheral devices to collect audio
• video cameras and/or peripheral devices with appropriate interfaces to capture video
• keyboards and/or optical character readers to collect numbers and text
• data capture devices such as counters for counting cars on a road

software used for collection

• device drivers that allow hardware to interface with the operating system
• software that allows participants to enter or import data
• software that allows participants to move data between applicat